In Edinburgh, Scotland, a group of young friends is deeply entrenched in the hedonistic and destructive lifestyle of heroin addiction. The protagonist, attempting to break free from this cycle, narrates their story, offering a glimpse into the lives of his friends who are all struggling with their own forms of addiction and the consequences that come with it. As they navigate through petty crime, unstable relationships, and the constant pursuit of their next high, their sense of reality becomes increasingly distorted. The unforgiving grip of drug dependency threatens to destroy their friendships and their futures.

Despite inner turmoil and social pressures, the protagonist grapples with the decision to clean up and lead a normal life. He intermittently tests the waters of sobriety, showing signs of wanting more than what his current life offers. However, the allure of his old habits proves challenging to resist, and the camaraderie with his mates, as dysfunctional as it may be, presents a difficult anchor to cast away. Each attempt to get clean is met with a tangled array of personal failings and the harsh judgment of a society that seems to offer no real path to redemption. As the story progresses, a series of events forces him to confront the possibility of change and the painful sacrifices that may come with it.